Their armor is light, making them agile and fast, while also making them more vulnerable to mines, anti-tank weapons (rockets, rifles, and artillery). Vehicles like Ratel offer military war planners various advantages and disadvantages. To this end, the South Africans have become experts in the field of wheeled armored vehicles - especially where mines are involved - a place where unconventional warfare has proven to be the norm due to the type of "Bush" conflict that is often encountered in the region. However, when the international community imposed an arms embargo on the country, South African authorities were forced to seek domestic solutions to meet growing military demands. South Africa has a long history of procuring various wheeled armoured vehicles - mainly from Europe. It has since been surpassed by more modern races incorporating the latest battlefield technology, weapons and survivability. The South African Armed Forces are expected to procure around 264 of the new Badgers and use it in various forms on the battlefield, effectively adopting Ratel's mantelpiece.Īt the time, the Ratel was one of the best wheeled armored vehicles in the world, if not the best. Although the Ratel will be replaced by the more modern Finnish Patria family of modular 8x8 wheeled vehicles, its long heritage has given it a place in South African army legend. For over three decades, the vehicle has been in extensive service with the armed forces of South Africa, Jordan, Djibouti, Ghana and Morocco. The series was developed around the same wheeled chassis and was designed to fill a variety of battlefield roles as needed.ĭesign work on this type of Sandock-Austral began in 1968 and the first prototype was produced in 1974. Ratel ("Honey Badger") infantry fighting vehicle is a long-standing family of 6圆 armoured vehicles designed and produced in South Africa.
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